Hereford bull is overall champion

This Hereford bull was named supreme champion and also won the champion title at the World Hereford Conference in Alberta earlier this year. Owner Grant Hirsche plans to take him to the National Western Stock Show in Denver this January. | Michael Raine photo

REGINA — Grant Hirsche is a man with a plan.

His horned Hereford bull was named overall champion at the grand finale RBC Supreme champion challenge at Canadian Western Agribition Nov. 24. The bull was also champion at the World Hereford Conference held in Alberta this summer.

The owner of Hirsche Herefords and Angus at High River, Alta., plans to take this two year old to the National Western Stock Show in Denver in January to vie for the championship there.

“It’ll be the triple crown. He’ll win the three biggest shows in North America,” he said after judge Lyal Fox gave him the nod.

Named UPS Uptown ET, the bull is owned in partnership with WSV Farm and Ranch of Calhan, Colorado and Upstream Ranch of Taylor, Nebraska. Hirsche bred the dam. That cow was descended from an internationally accepted Hirsche bull named GH Neon.

This is the second time a Hirsche Hereford has won this prestigious show, which started in 1999.

The supreme female title went to a Charolais cow owned by Dennis Serhienko, who is no stranger to this event. He has won it three times with his Charolais females and once with a bull.

“It is an honour just to be here,” he said. He won this award two years ago with the dam of this year’s winner. It was a calf at side in 2010.

Named SVY Starstruck 8X, this cow has already been flushed and has three other calves coming this year. After the show, its embryos will be harvested again. The winning calf was sold to Oklahoma during Agribition so Serhienko won’t speculate whether it will be back in two years’ time.

The cow is owned with Vogeli Charolais of Maymont, Sask., Michelson Land and Cattle of Lipton, Sask., McAvoy Charolais of Arelee, Sask., and Medonte Charolais of Hillsdale, Ont.

Purebred cattle that have been grand champions from shows across the continent are eligible to enter. Five judges evaluate them on a point system. Each winner receives $10,000 plus other prizes.

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There were 76 bulls and females in the ring for the Supreme Championship, representing shows from across Canada and the U.S. Many were champions at more than one show.

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